(updated)
Silly headline at Think Progress:
Paul Ryan Accidentally Reveals The Truth About The GOP's Obamacare ReplacementHere's what Ryan said:
The former GOP vice presidential nominee was asked on Bloomberg's "Political Capital with Al Hunt" about whether Republicans would keep provisions like requiring coverage for pre-existing conditions, keeping kids on their parents' insurance until they are 26 years old and barring insurance companies from having different rates for those whose jobs include physical labor....Ryan went on to claim Republicans would work to make health care affordable, but offered no specific ideas to help people in vulnerable groups. So yes, Ryan made clear that reforms of this kind are likely to go.
"If you look at these kinds of reforms, where they've been tried before -- say the state of Kentucky, for example -- you basically make it impossible to underwrite insurance," Ryan said, according to an advance transcript. "You dramatically crank up the cost. And you make it hard for people to get affordable health care."
But I can't believe Ryan "accidentally revealed the truth." I can't believe he said more than he intended to say.
Republicans -- and Ryan in particular -- aren't ashamed of the fact that they reject guaranteed coverage, or reasonably priced insurance for people in high-risk categories. On the contrary, they're quite content with the fact that they leave a lot of people vulnerable.
You have to understand the philosophy of modern conservatism, a key tenet of which is that it's wrong to provide something good to everyone. It goes against the will of God. You see, God wants the less deserving to suffer. In fact, that's how we know who the less deserving are: we can identify them because they're suffering. They're poor. They're unemployed. They've become sick and don't have enough cash or medical coverage to get well. Clearly that's because of something they did in their lives. If we -- the people favored of God -- deign to help them out with our Christian charity, then we're virtuous people, and God loves us. But arranging society so that such people are helped routinely is just a way of ensuring that the sinful and undeserving will be rewarded.
Paul Ryan is addressing his remarks to people who share this worldview. They're called "the Republican base." He knows they agree with him. What he said was directed at them -- and not by accident.
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UPDATE: What the Tea Party Express's Howard Kaloogian said on Rick Scarborough's radio show seems germane here:
I think it's clear that God has a position on many of the things we deem political today, from life to theft to the doctrine of covetousness, which by the way seems to be the promotion of the left. You know, they talk about 'income inequality,' well what is that but covetousness? So how could somebody support that cause if they're biblical believing Christians?
"Privatizing" Ryan's POV:
ReplyDeleteLet children and seniors starve!
Let the sick die!!
Let women be burdened with unwanted children!!!
If we don't do that, then our precious "Job Creators - All kneel... Let us pray for them, as they prey on YOU... Amen... ALL RISE! - won't be creating any more low-paying jobs with no benefits, and won't be able to provide the boost to the American economy that them buying still more politicians, mansions, yachts, limo's, jewelry, art works, etc., will do.
Without the rich, we'd have no economy.
The stupid moochers, takers, and parasites, are sitting on their money!
As for the poor - let them eat cake... and fast food... and high-carb & salt foods... fatty meats and cheeses with all sorts of chemicals... and fish with who knows what in it... sh*t with high-fructose syrup in it.... and every other crappy thing that they eat and drink.
AND ESPECIALLY NO MORE CADDIES, T-BONES, AND MALT LIQUOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It's like Calvinism Plus - on acid!
And I don't mean that kid with the stuffed tiger!
Very good choice to link those two quotes. The Kaloogian thing leaped out at me, too, when I read it. they really are going to the mattresses on the prosperity doctrine and calvinist pre-determination. God not only wants some people to be rich--he's determined to see some people die in horrible poverty and illness. And he needs the GOP's help to get there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aimai. This seems germane as well.
ReplyDelete"You know, they talk about 'income inequality,' well what is that but covetousness?"
ReplyDeleteI'm never sure whether conservatives sincerely believe this line or just use it as a way to turn an economic argument into a moral one, where they have the high ground. But I suspect it's at least partly a case of projection, caused by their inability to think of justice as anything apart from what a bunch of 18th century elitists wrote in the damned constitution.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteBull Orally would get his ass kicked, and his teeth shattered and scattered on the ground, like spilled Tic-Tac's.
And, hopefully, a broken jaw that never heals.
Re the Ryan budget, some words come to mind, but I can't seem to recall who said them: "I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me."
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Republicans can refresh my memory.